Parole and parole boards play critical roles in criminal justice systems. With parolee numbers and imprisonment rates increasing in many countries, parole decision-making is a crucial contributor to prison population sizes and, more broadly, public confidence in the operation of correctional systems. This article examines the public understanding of and confidence in parole, from the perspectives of parole board members and other parole authority staff. It aims to determine whether and, if so, how, public opinion influences parole decision-making and how parole boards feel they can or should respond to this. It draws on interviews with 80 parole board members and other relevant staff in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Scotland.

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建立公众对假释委员会的信心：一项四国研究的结果

假释和假释委员会在刑事司法系统中发挥着关键作用。随着许多国家的假释人数和监禁率的增加，假释决策是监狱人口规模的关键因素，更广泛地说，是公众对惩教系统运作的信心。本文从假释委员会成员和其他假释机构工作人员的角度考察了公众对假释的理解和信心。它旨在确定公众舆论是否以及如何影响假释决策，以及假释委员会认为他们可以或应该如何对此作出反应。它借鉴了对澳大利亚、新西兰、加拿大和苏格兰的 80 名假释委员会成员和其他相关工作人员的采访。